WHO recommends highly successful COVID−19 therapy

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, sold under the trade name Paxlovid, for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, calling it the best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients to date.

However, availability, lack of price transparency in bilateral deals made by the producer, and the need for prompt and accurate testing before administering it, are turning this life-saving medicine into a major challenge for low- and middle-income countries.

Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) Paxlovid oral antiviral drug is strongly recommended for patients with non-severe COVID-19 who are at highest risk of developing severe disease and hospitalization, such as unvaccinated, older, or immunosuppressed patients.